From: Your Big Brother
by Hobbit of Narnia
Summary: It's Christmas at the Hamada residence and Hiro receives a gift from his brother he wasn't expecting and ultimately isn't too fond of. Companion piece to "That Hat". Hamada brotherly bond.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** San Fransokyo and its inhabitants belong to Disney and Marvel.  
><strong>AN: <strong>Though this is written to be a companion piece to my story "That Hat" it can be read on it's own.

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><p>"<em>Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow." <em>

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><p>"That seems to be all," Aunt Cass said as she patted Mochi purring contentedly beside her and gave her two nephews a tired smile. The floor around them was a sea of festive papers and ribbons with gifts strewn amongst the mess. Their tree was lit and decorated with ornaments made during Christmases past and the old star placed at the very top glowed hopeful.<p>

"There has to be one more," Tadashi said as his hands turned over the paper around him. His aunt peered through the branches and ornaments and spotted a gift in the very back, not yet opened.

"Oh silly me! Probably should have looked harder. Let's see, this last one is for-" she said to herself as reached under the tree to pull out the present, "-Hiro!"

Hiro's face brightened and he looked at his brother and aunt with eyes full of excitement as a brightly and neatly wrapped package was handed to him. He shook it and heard a faint thump of whatever-it-was bump against the inside of the box then quickly glanced at the tag attached to one of the ribbons. It read:

_To: Hiro_

_From: your big brother_

_(I hope you like it!)_

Hiro untied the ribbon as delicately as he could since Aunt Cass loved to save them then tossed it aside. He found the best place to tear the red and green dotted paper off and managed to have a plain brown box before him. It was taped shut. Tadashi watched as Hiro pulled and picked at the flaps and tried his best to hold back a smile; there is something about a taped cardboard box and the strength of a twelve year old that don't quite work together. Before long Hiro ended up asking for scissors.

"I think I know what it is!" he whispered excitedly as he cut away at the tape. When he finally had it opened his face froze in surprise. He reached inside and pulled out a black ball cap that looked all too familiar.

"Now, isn't that nice!" their aunt said looking back and forth between the two brothers.

"Yeah, for sure," Hiro gave a weak smile toward Aunt Cass then proceeded to place the cap back in the box. He heard the noise of his aunt's camera turning on and her once tired voice become more enthusiastic as she said, "Why don't you put it on Hiro? Oh, and get yours Tadashi! I want to take a picture of the two of you wearing it next to the tree."

"Would it be fine if we did that later?" said Hiro forcing himself to yawn and slowly blink his eyes.

"Oh, okay, sweetie" his aunt said with an understanding smile and turned off the camera, "Would you two mind taking your presents upstairs? I need to get some breakfast going."

"Not at all," Tadashi said rising and stretching a little. They both gathered their new things and Tadashi placed his on the sofa before cleaning up the paper left all about the tree. His brother looked on with his gifts gathered in his arms until he saw that the festive paper was nearly gone. Hiro made his way upstairs and Tadashi came up right behind him.

Hiro carelessly dropped the plain box on his bed and stared at his brother with a look that said, _"A hat? Really?" _Tadashi only tilted his head a little and raised his eyebrow as if to say, _"Yes, really."_ The younger brother felt that he wasn't getting the response he was hoping for and mumbled, "You know how I feel about yours so why would you get me one?"

Tadashi cut the tag off a cardigan and folded it before putting it away. "Figures you didn't read the note," he said after the long pause and turned his attention to the books he just placed on his bed. Hiro still sat where he was with his eyes boring into the ground until Tadashi continued on, "To sum it up: You'll be graduating soon and I was hoping you'd join me when you felt ready. I got it for you as sort of a reminder about what you _could_ do after you finish up your last year."

"_School_, again?," Hiro rolled his eyes before collapsing onto his bed moaning, "Honestly, I don't feel like going to college."

"I know it," his brother said without missing a beat, "but who says I have to give up on you?"

"But ...if you think I'm gonna wear it – you're crazy!" he sat up a little.

"Then I'm crazy," Tadashi said as he looked over his shoulder while organizing the new books he received, "You basically promised Aunt Cass a picture."

"She _might_ forget," he lay back down and rested his face on his hand, "and even if she doesn't at least I won't leave the house with it on."

"I wouldn't be too sure, if I were you" Tadashi said just loud enough for his own ears as he finished putting away the last book. He walked over from his side of the bedroom and snatched up the box. "For now I'll just take this," he said in a low voice, "and put it somewhere safe so you don't-."

"Burn it?" Hiro grinned and Tadashi knew that behind that smile he could be serious.

"Yeah, that" he laughed nervously as he looked down at the pitiful cardboard box and gave a little sigh, "I guess I'll just have to wrap it up again and regift it in a few years." He smiled faintly and walked back over to his side of the room.

"Umm, Tadashi?" Hiro said as he propped himself up on his elbow.

"Yes?" he turned. Hiro threw his feet over the side of his bed and placed his nervous hands in his lap.

"I don't want you to- I mean, it was a nice thought and all, but it's just not," he looked up from his folded hands, "me."

"I understand," the elder brother said softly before making his way towards his bed, "but who knows? With some time you might grow to love it."

"Maybe," he said to himself then looked directly at his brother, "Could you toss it over? I'd like to see it again."

Tadashi lifted a flap of the box and threw the cap over to his brother who caught it perfectly. Hiro held it in one hand and ran his finger over the insignia for a few moments, "It's not exactly a _bad_ looking hat." He placed it on his head and got a broad smile out of his brother. His mass of hair shrunk at the top and his head felt awkward since it wasn't accustomed to wearing any types of hats. Hoods? Yes. But never hats. He took it off and shook out his hair to get it the way it was before.

He was about to toss it back but Tadashi stopped him saying, "You should keep it for now so we can get the photo over with," he went over to his side table and grabbed his cap and situated it comfortably on his head, "Want to go downstairs?"

Hiro twirled it on his finger before putting it on, "Well, the sooner the better."

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><p>Thank you for taking your time to read this! Please review!<br>HoN


	2. Chapter II

**A/N: **Late? Yes, but I'm still in the Christmas spirit.

**Disclaimer: **I own not the characters nor the places, Disney and Marvel do. Also, lyrics at the bottom are from "Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas."

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><p>Chapter II<p>

Hiro sat listlessly on the sofa with an untouched plate on his lap. It was Christmas morning and there was no tree and there were no decorations. Aunt Cass thought some cheer in celebration of the season was needed but Hiro wanted none of it. It would be too hard to not think of him, too hard to keep from remembering. Every day still hurt, some days more than others, but to see everyone else happy during Christmastime pierced his heart.

"Come on, sweetie,"Aunt Cass said as she sat beside Hiro, "You can open this _one_ present."

He looked at the empty space where the tree was put up year after year. It was supposed to be his brother's turn to place the star at the top this year. Memories of happier Christmases went through his mind; he remembered his brother joking about putting the star on the tree every year because of his height, the time his brother caught him tampering with the lights' wires, and the last Christmas present he received from him – his throat closed and he shook his head in answer to his aunt.

After taking a deep breath to steady himself he put the plate aside and trudged up to his room. His hand gently pushed the door closed behind him and he collapsed to the ground. A sigh escaped and he realized he had been holding his breath. Stray tears followed soon after and his body shuddered from the lifted pressure of holding them back. He inhaled sharply against the ground, a loud noise in the silent room.

"Hiro, you are lying on the ground and look distressed. What is the matter?" came a familiar voice Hiro wasn't expecting. The robot walked over from his case and began to help the boy up. With his free arm Hiro wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

"No, I'm fine," he said. The left side of his mouth upturned was the closest to a smile he could get.

His inflatable friend seemed to study him,"Your eyes show signs of crying."

"It isn't anything serious."

"Are you sure?" Baymax waddled over to Hiro's side, "Would you like some cheering up or would you rather express the feelings you are keeping to yourself?"

"Baymax," he lay on his bed with his back facing the robot, "you wouldn't understand."

"You already know I can be programmed to understand many things," he blinked, "What is it that you think I will not understand?" Hiro rolled over to face his inquisitive companion.

"This time of year and why-," he glanced at a picture his aunt took exactly a year ago then looked away, "why it can never be the same."

"Are you referring to the holidays that happen in the month of December?" said Baymax.

"How do you know about-"

"Tadashi programmed me to know all the calender holidays as it makes me a better health care companion," Baymax wandered over to Tadashi's side of the room and pushed aside the divider. Many times Aunt Cass thought it would be best if his things were packed away but Hiro wanted it to stay the way it was, just as he left it. Sometimes it was too difficult to bear and it would be closed off. Other times he would walk over and look at his brother's things as if he never saw them before. He would lay on his brother's bed or sit in his chair and surround himself with memories and try to forget what happened.

"Baymax, what are you doing?"

"I am looking for something I found that might help cheer you," he said before he disappeared behind the bed. Hiro went over to the other side of the room and saw Baymax emerge with a box.

"This is a present; it has been a long held tradition to give gifts to one another on December the 25th, that is Christmas day," he put out his hand that held the box, "I found it when you asked for your soccer ball after it rolled over to this side of the room. It is for you."

"How do you know?"

"There is this tag," Baymax said. He pulled something from the box and placed it in Hiro's hand.

"Would you like to see what is inside?" he handed over the light cardboard box.

"It was given to me already, buddy," Hiro answered and opened it to show his friend, "There's nothing in-" A paper with recognizable handwriting caught his eye. He pulled it out and the box dropped from his grasp to the floor.

_Hiro,_

He read and sat on the side of Tadashi's mattress.

_While I wish you would read this I know you won't. But it never hurt anyone to try, right?_

_I've wanted to give you this cap for a long time now and thought Christmas would be the best opportunity. Maybe it isn't the perfect gift idea but it may grow on you over time, in fact, I'm sure it will._

_There are a couple reasons I went with this instead of some other things you asked for: I could afford it (an obvious reason) and it will serve as something to remind you of the possibilities that await after you graduate. You are a genius little brother and though attending college may not teach you much (as you constantly tell me), it can still give you the discipline and guidance you need to use your wonderful gift to do even better things than you might imagine. We both know you don't always use your smarts in the best ways – I am very sure you remember how I was able to get you out of all the scrapes you've gotten into. Well, nearly all (you know you had to be punished after single-handedly destroying Aunt Cass's kitchen...). _

_Maybe you think I stick too close or that I'm domineering but you also have no idea how difficult it is watching out for you. After you were born I was told by Mom and Dad to "be a good role model" and "take care of your baby brother."I did my best. After they died I knew I had to try even harder. Trust me, it's never been easy. Growing up everyone always said that you were the smarter of the two of us and it bothered me. I know you won't believe it but I was actually jealous of you. When I finally got over my envy I decided that instead of trying to do better than you I would do my best to ensure your talents didn't go to waste. At times, I think I failed but at others you offer me a glimmer of hope that maybe my efforts will pay off in the end._

_With that I wish you a merry Christmas!_

_Love,  
>Tadashi<em>

_P.S: A word of wisdom I heard from a professor of mine, "Always remember that every idea, every opportunity, every person, and every moment matters – so don't let any pass you by."_

The page looked up at him and he stared back long after the words ceased. The note didn't give him a feeling of emptiness or loss but encouraged him in a way nothing could. If Tadashi were around he would be proud and that made Hiro smile. He looked away from the paper when he felt a soft tapping on his shoulder and the words, "Hiro, there seems to be a continual knock at your door." He jumped off the bed and made his way to his nightstand where he placed the note next to a hat and a photo.

"Come in."

The door burst open as if it were under pressure and he saw the faces of his friends: Fred, GoGo, Honey Lemon, and Wasabi all wearing holiday attire and brimming with excitement.

"Hiro, we have something downstairs for you," said Fred

"We heard you weren't into the Christmas spirit this year...," said GoGo.

"So we got you a little surprise," said Wasabi.

"Yes!" Honey Lemon grabbed Hiro and Baymax by their wrists and led them downstairs with the other three following behind. They turned the corner and saw before them a beautifully decorated tree. It looked perfect but for one thing.

"Hiro, will you do the honour," GoGo handed him the Hamada's star.

"But-" he looked over to his aunt and she motioned him with her hand. He took the star and climbed the ladder to put it in its rightful place. From where he stood he looked down at his friends and his aunt who wore encouraging smiles.

Somehow, he felt his Christmas would be a happy one after all.

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><p>"<em>Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself A merry little Christmas now." <em>

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><p>Thanks for reading! Please review!<br>HoN


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